Determination
by adromir
Summary: Steve has to jump into the cold river to rescue the occupants of a sinking minivan.


**SUMMARY: Steve has to jump into the cold river to rescue the occupants of a sinking minivan.**

**A/N: Hey, it's me again. No, still no stories on Supernatural. This LOD fic takes place after Season 5.**

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Sitting behind the wheel of his service vehicle—a silver Mazda sedan—DS Steve Arnott looked straight ahead at the road, but his mind was clearly elsewhere. He drove on automatic pilot, smoothly guiding the car around the corners.

From the passenger seat, DI Kate Fleming sent him another puzzled glance. She had no idea what was bothering her partner, and that caused her to be quite concern. Steve was not the talkative type, but generally he was not this quiet either.

"Are you alright?" she had to ask, for she couldn't bear the odd silence any longer.

He quickly looked at her, a little startled, as if only realizing that he wasn't alone. "Yeah, I'm good."

"Then what's with all the brooding?"

"What?" He frowned in incomprehension. "What are you talking about?"

"You haven't said a word since we left the scene. That is so not you."

He just shrugged. "What is there left to say? Our main suspect is now dead, he killed himself at the jetty where three other murders took place. Case closed."

Shaking her head, Kate gave him a piercing stare. "No, this has nothing to do with the dead suspect. I think something else is on your mind."

"No, there isn't."

"Is it about Sam?"

"Damn it, Kate. You're like a dog with a bone." He emitted a long suffering sigh.

"Well, is it?" She still insisted to know. "I saw you both talking just now, but you acted like you were strangers. What's going on with you two?"

DS Sam Railston had also been at the scene where the suspect's dead body was found. It was her patch, her territory, for she was an officer with the Murder Squad. She also happened to be Steve's former girlfriend.

"There's nothing going on," he replied. "Not anymore."

"I thought you guys were back together. Didn't you take her out to dinner at that fancy restaurant just two nights ago?"

If anything, he looked even more miserable. "It's just dinner, nothing more. Afterwards, I dropped Sam at her flat and I went home to mine. The end."

Kate was left to ponder. "Steve, what's wrong, really? Is it about her dumping you before? Once bitten twice shy, is that it?"

He scowled back at her. "No, I got over it. We've made amends. It's all water under the bridge now."

"You're sure?"

"I don't hold grudges, Kate. I don't blame her for the things that happened between us."

"Okay, so you've moved on. Then why the long face?"

Again, he sighed. His partner could be so persistent when she wanted to be. Hence, the interrogation. That's what she did for a living. "There's something else I need to work out."

"Which is?"

He took a moment to respond, "I still care for her. Heck, I still love her. But it's not fair to her to resume our relationship, not right now."

"What do you mean?"

When he didn't immediately reply, she urged, "What's wrong, mate? Is there something else I need to know?"

"It's just…it's too personal," he said, looking a bit distracted. He kept glancing at the rearview mirror.

Kate frowned at this. "Personal? Like my secret affair with Richard Ackers personal?"

Steve didn't answer. His attention was now fixed on what he saw in his side view mirror. "Hey, do you see that?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Steve. Don't change the subject."

"No, Kate. Look. Behind us."

Puzzled, she glanced at the side mirror before turning to look behind them. "What? You mean the red Jaguar?

"Yeah." Steve nodded. "I saw it approaching at high speed. It just appears out of nowhere."

"Looking at the type of the car, its driver obviously loves to drive fast," she said, noting that the other car was almost kissing the Mazda's rear bumper.

"This is a country lane. He's way over the speed limit. What's the rush?" Steve fumed.

"Maybe you should just let him pass," Kate suggested.

"Yes, ma'am.' Though annoyed, Steve acquiesced. He guided his car closer to the left side of the lane to give way for the Jaguar. The other car instantly shot forward into the right of the Mazda. Steve peered to see its driver but the windows were darkly tinted.

And then the Jaguar driver did a real reckless move when it abruptly cut in front of the Mazda without leaving a space to spare.

"Shit!" Steve swore as he wrestled with the wheel to avoid a collision. The back end of the car fishtailed like crazy that they almost went off the road if not for Steve's expert handling. He had to use all the skills he had to bring the Mazda back under control.

"Fucking idiot." Steve was angry now. "He could've killed us!"

"What the hell is he trying to do?" Kate cried out, her heart pumping wildly.

They both watched as the Jaguar roared onward, swerving madly from the left lane to the right and back again down the road, heading towards town.

"What, is he drunk?" Kate wondered out loud.

"Or he's on meth, or he's just plain mental," Steve grumbled. "Either way, he must be stopped before he crashes into other motorists. You had better call this in."

Kate nodded in agreement as she grabbed the car two-way radio. "Did you catch the registration number?"

A stickler for details and exceptionally sharp during tense situation, Steve did. "It's Romeo Zulu 4 9 Delta Echo Lima."

As she gave the details to the dispatcher, Steve reached over to turn on the siren and flashing lights. "I'm going after him."

Kate braced herself as her partner shoved his foot down the pedal, the ever reliable Mazda speeding up to give chase. Within seconds, they caught sight of the wayward Jaguar. It continued to hurtle down the road at breakneck speed, veering crazily about. Luckily it was midday, and the country lane was not known for heavy traffic accept for an occasional cars that had to swerve wide to avoid a catastrophe.

"This is an auto crash waiting to happen, Kate," Steve grimly said, bringing the Mazda closer to the Jaguar. "This guy has to stop. Any oncoming cars from around the bend might not be so lucky."

"The dispatcher is sending over patrol cars," she replied. "They are going to cut him off in front."

The road then came alongside a river, the water surface looked a bit choppy from the strong autumn wind and the undercurrent. Kate grew deeply anxious just by the sight of it. If Steve lose control of the Mazda, they might end up taking a cold swim for the day.

And then the inevitable happened.

Continuing its wild shenanigans, the red Jaguar veered into the oncoming lane, right into the path of a white minivan. The Jaguar swerved at the last minute back into the left lane and sped off. However, the driver of the minivan oversteered, throwing the vehicle straight into the river.

"Jesus Christ!" Steve shouted. He jammed on the brakes, bringing the Mazda to a screeching halt by the side of the road. Unbuckling his seatbelt, he quickly got out.

"Kate, I need you to stay on the ground!"

Also getting out of the car, she could only watch as Steve hastily removed his suit jacket and took off at a run to dive into the river. Reaching back inside the car, she grabbed the two-way radio.

"I need EMTs at Lambourn Drive right away! A minivan has gone off the road into the river. Possible number of victims unknown but an officer is already in the water. I repeat, an officer is in the water!"

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The moment he hit the water, Steve's breath was instantly taken away from the sheer cold. Gritting his teeth to keep them from chattering, he swam hard towards the minivan that was steadily sinking. He couldn't see much inside because the windscreen and the door on the driver's side was already submerged, followed quickly by the roof. He had no choice but to dive along.

Taking a deep breath, he went under.

Steve followed the minivan's movement as it slowly sank before settling at the bottom, fifteen feet below the surface. He tried to unlatch the driver's door but it was locked solid. Grabbing the side to anchor himself, he kicked repeatedly at the window until the glass broke.

Quickly, he pushed himself through the broken window into the van. He then emerged into the small air pocket near the ceiling where he found a woman huddling in fear with her two small boys.

"Oh, thank god, thank god!" the woman cried out the moment she saw him. "Please help me, help my kids! Get them out. Get them out now!"

"Ma'am, ma'am," he gently said, trying calm her down. "It's okay. I'm here to help. Give your boys to me and you can follow me from behind."

"I can't leave yet." She turned away to fumble with something in the back. "My baby is trapped. I can't get the strap off of her!"

Only then he realized that there was a baby seat behind the front passenger seat. And it was already submerged under water, along with the baby.

_Oh, no…_

Steve's mind raced. He had to quickly decide what to do and who to save first. They were quickly losing the air pocket. Sooner or later, they would all be submerged.

Thinking fast, he gathered the wailing boys close, telling them to hold their breath before pushing back towards the driver's door. As he maneuvered them through the narrow space of the broken window, he could barely feel it when the remaining glass shard cut his left bicep, leaving blood trails behind him. Clutching the kids firmly in both arms, Steve aimed for the surface and kicked hard.

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"Steve!" Kate cried out in great relief when the three emerged, gasping for air. Her relief was cut short when Steve reached the riverbank to deposit the boys, only to swim back towards the submerged minivan.

"Keep them warm, Kate! I'm going to get the mother and the baby," he managed to say before he went underwater again.

_The baby?_

Kate was horrified, but she quickly moved into action. She pulled open the back door of the Mazda and urged the shivering boys inside, wrapping them both in blankets she had found in the boot of the car. She then turned up the heater, closed the door, and continued to wait anxiously by the side of the river.

"Where the hell are the EMTs?" she muttered as she glanced at her watch. It had been over five minutes since she made the call, and her partner had been in the freezing water for as much as that.

Noticing the blue lights still flashing on Steve's car, several passing motorists slowed to a stop when they realized something bad was happening. A couple came near to offer their help, so Kate told them to be a lookout for the arriving EMTs.

When Steve broke the surface with the mother, the woman promptly broke down in hysterics between gasps, "My baby! Do not leave her…No, no, no! I don't want to leave my baby girl!"

With an arm wrapped around her torso, Steve swam towards the shore as fast as he could with his ebbing strength. He was a strong swimmer, but fighting the current while holding a struggling woman in his arms was quickly taking its toll. Thankfully, Kate was there to pull her up and out of the water.

Nodding tiredly at his partner, Steve turned back around to return to the sunken minivan.

"Ma'am, please calm down," Kate firmly told the woman. "Your boys are safe in the car and they need you now."

"But my baby…she's trapped in her car seat. But he just grabbed me and take me away from her…" the woman wailed, "Why did he make me leave my baby girl?"

"Because he has to!" Kate replied. "He can't possibly save the both of you at the same time, ma'am. I know it's extremely hard for you to leave your baby down there but my partner is doing everything he can to save her. Now please calm down and go sit with your sons inside the car where it's warm. They need to know their mother is okay."

Still sobbing, the woman reluctantly rose to her feet and let herself being led towards the backseat of the Mazda. A young lady motorist came forward to offer her assistance, so Kate asked her to sit with the woman and her kids to comfort them.

Meanwhile, Kate returned to the riverbank to stare at the spot where she had last seen Steve. He then suddenly broke the surface, coughing and gasping for air.

But his arms were empty.

Steve seemed to be trying to gather himself as he tried to catch his breath. He looked at Kate, and then at the backseat of the Mazda where the woman could be heard crying for her baby. Turning back to Kate, he gave her a telling look, the one that was filled with pure determination that sent shivers up and down her spine.

"Steve…"

Kate knew then. Her partner was going to keep saving the baby even to his last breath, come what may. After taking another long deep breath, he dove under and disappeared from her view once more.

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Steve swam back towards the minivan. Before entering through the broken window, he grabbed at the remaining shard of glass and yanked it out of the window frame.

He pushed himself in, went towards the back seat, and began cutting at the strap of the baby seat. The buckle wouldn't come undone, he had tried it for the umpteenth time to no avail. That left only one other thing to do, which was to cut off the strap completely.

The baby lay still in her deadly cocoon, looking awfully white. Steve didn't know if she was still alive or if she was already dead. He only knew he must get her out of the minivan towards the surface.

Even if he would die trying.

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"Come on, Steve. Come on…" Kate kept praying under her breath. She then heard the most beautiful sound ever, the blaring sirens of the EMT vehicle. They were approaching real fast.

She heaved a sigh of relief when two ambulances finally appeared, followed by a patrol car. The other motorists helped flag them down, pointing towards the river. Kate rushed towards the first paramedic that arrived at the scene.

"I'm DI Fleming. Two boys and their mother have been rescued out of the water. They are sitting in the car," she said, pointing towards the Mazda. "My partner is still in the river, trying to rescue the baby."

The paramedic nodded her affirmation. She and her colleagues instantly got to work, briskly and efficiently as they checked over the woman and her kids.

A male paramedic came near Kate. "You said your partner is still underwater? With the baby?"

"Yes."

"How long now?"

Kate checked her watch again. "Three minutes. At least."

"Shit," he responded, before using his radio to call for another ambulance.

She turned back to stare at the water, willing for Steve to quickly appear. As if answering her prayers, he emerged at last, clutching a small limp body in one arm. Her partner was wheezing even harder than before, looking a bit disoriented. He tried to swim for shore, but he was already worn out and the current was overpowering his tired limbs.

"He's not gonna make it," the paramedic anxiously said.

"He's completely drained," said Kate, close to panic. "And he has been in the water way too long."

She made a move to jump into the river but the paramedic held her back. "No, ma'am. Let me."

Shrugging off his jacket, the paramedic took a leap and landed into the water with a curse, "Holy fuck, it's freezing!"

Still, he went ahead to swim fast towards Steve and the baby. He managed to grab the back of Steve's waistcoat before the both of them could sink again. A good thing too, for Steve was already passed out cold.

With one arm around both Steve and the baby, the paramedic swam for the shore where Kate and the others were already waiting. Someone immediately grabbed the baby and ran with it towards the first ambulance, which quickly left the scene towards the nearest hospital.

Kate helped drag Steve out of the water before they lie him flat on the ground. He was so pale that his lips were almost blue, his entire body shaking from the cold. She quickly moved out of the way to give the paramedics some space as they examined her partner.

"He's breathing fine," one of them said, "But it's shallow. Hand me over the oxygen mask."

The other paramedic, the one who had jumped into the water to rescue Steve, looked up at Kate. "Ma'am, what's his name?"

"Steve. DS Steve Arnott."

He nodded, turning his attention back to his charge. "DS Arnott? Sir? Can you hear me?"

When they got no response, they continued to strip him off his wet clothes, leaving him in his underwear. And then they wrapped him in layers of Mylar blanket to conserve his body heat. They also noted the long gash on his left bicep and some cuts on his right palm.

"This will need some stitches," one of them said, wrapping a pressure bandage over the bleeding gash on Steve's arm.

They were about to lift him onto the stretcher when Steve finally stirred to consciousness.

"Kate?" he weakly asked for her, jerking the oxygen mask off his face.

"Right here, mate." Kate moved into Steve's direct sight, her arms filled with his discarded clothing. "You're gonna be okay."

"How's the baby?"

She turned to the male paramedic, looking for answers. He solemnly replied, "They are working on her."

Steve looked subdued. He truly hoped the baby would survive despite the odds. If they were still trying to revive her, that meant she was still alive. She still had chances to live.

"Sir, we need to take you with us now," said the male paramedic.

Steve noticed that the other man was soaking wet, his white t-shirt and pants completely drenched. "Did you just jump into the water to save me?"

"Yes, sir. I did." The man grinned back.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Nothing to it, sir. You're the one who has saved four lives today. I'm just doing my job."

"Same here, just doing my job." Steve struggled to get to his feet but they wouldn't let him.

"Steve, you need to lie down," Kate said, "They are taking you to the hospital."

"But I'm fine. Only a little cold."

"It's just a precaution, sir. You still need further inspection by the doctors at the A&E. You came out of the water near hypothermic. And there's also the risk of pneumonia."

"Besides, you can't be going anywhere without your clothes on, can you?" Kate smirked. "You're practically naked under there."

Steve looked down at himself wrapped inside the Mylar blanket. He sighed in resignation. "Fine. But do I really need to lie down on the stretcher?"

"Absolutely, sir."

Kate touched his shoulder. "I'll follow you in the car, okay? I'll meet you there."

"Yes, ma'am," Steve agreed despite his reluctance. "Update me later about that bloody Jaguar. Find out if they've managed to stop him."

She nodded. "Will do."

After the ambulance carrying Steve had left amid blaring sirens and flashing lights, Kate returned to the Mazda. The woman and her two boys had also been taken to the nearest hospital in the third ambulance. Several onlookers still lingered, watching in curious fascination as more patrol cars arrived to secure the scene. The work to retrieve the sunken minivan would soon begin.

After dumping Steve's wet clothes inside the boot of his car, she went to give her brief statements to the scene officer in charge. Afterwards, she got behind the wheel of the Mazda.

Kate sat there for a full minute, staring at her hands. They were trembling.

She had nearly lost her partner. _Again_.

With the kind of job they had, those were the risks they had to take. Every single day. It was a terrifying thought.

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It was almost two hours later when Kate finally got to see Steve at the hospital. She was shown towards a curtained area at the A&E where she found her partner sitting on the examination table with his legs dangling merrily as he flirted with a pretty nurse.

"I've thought so," Kate commented, amused. "You won't miss the chance to get her number, would you, honey?"

The nurse's smile faltered. "I thought you said you're not married?"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm _not_. This isn't my wife. She's my partner, DI Kate Fleming."

"Oh, of course." The young woman giggled. Turning to Kate, she said, "You were just joking."

"I was." Kate solemnly nodded. "Say, how is he?"

"The doctor has given him the all clear. No further complications. We sewed up the gash on his arm and bandaged the cuts in his right hand. All he needs to do now is to get some rest and continue to keep warm."

"Yeah, _he_ can do that. At home," Steve pointedly said. He was now wearing pale blue scrubs with a woolen blanket draped across his shoulders. Kate was glad to see that he no longer looked as ashen as before.

"I'll go and find out if your release letter is ready," the nurse said, sending Steve another sweet smile before she left two AC officers alone.

Kate chuckled with a shake of her head. "Oh, Steve. Don't ever change."

He grinned back, and then he turned deeply serious. "Any news about the baby yet? No one has told me anything about her."

"Well," Kate quietly said, "She's still alive, but she's in critical condition. They placed her in the ICU."

Steve hang his head down with his eyes closed, mix reactions plastered all over his face.

She reached up to squeeze his shoulder. "You did everything you could, mate. By rescuing her, you've given her a chance to live. It's up to the doctors to help her now."

"I…I left her there," he muttered. He still couldn't shake the guilt from making that hard decision.

"But you went back for her," Kate said. "You did everything by the book. Preserve life, that's the code. No matter what happens to the baby now, you made the right choice."

Steve looked up. He took a deep breath for composure. "And the Jag?"

Kate made a face at this. "It went off the road at a roundabout, not far from the river. It hit some bushes, turned turtle, but the driver was fine except for some bumps and bruises. What a lucky bastard."

"Wait till I get my hands on him," Steve growled, still mad at the whole thing.

"Don't bother," she said. "They've already slapped him with all kind of charges they can think of. And you were actually right. That idiot was on meth. No wonder, he was as high as a kite. He must be thinking he was driving on an F1 circuit or something."

"I hope the bastard find utter hell in prison," he said with great satisfaction.

Kate gave him a thorough once-over that made him squirm. "_What_?"

"You're sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine."

"No more brooding?"

"Oh, for god's sake, Kate. Are we back to that?" Steve met her earnest gaze. "Look. I promise you, I will tell you about what has really been bothering me before. Just not right now. I've had enough excitement for one day."

She nodded. "Fair enough. Just remember, I'm always here for you."

He smiled back. "I know, mate. Likewise."

**THE END**

**Stay tuned for more stories on DS Steve Arnott.**

"**I didn't shag her." – DS Steve Arnott**


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